In Iowa, a GOP governor charts a different course

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – As his Republican peers in other states search for ways to cut public school funding, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad is charting a different course. He’s doubling down on education.

Branstad was elected in 2010 as part of a resurgent GOP. But he’s made proposals many Republicans would sneer at: raising minimum teacher salaries and offering incentive pay for teachers who take on more responsibilities _ all by tapping $187 million in new school funding.

It’s an approach that reflects the lives of Iowa families, who send nearly all of their children to public schools and have felt deeply connected to local districts for generations.

The governor wants to address falling test scores. And he says he’s willing to invest more resources if it can be done “in an intelligent way.”

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